Tornadoes · United States · Tennessee · 2008

EF2 tornado, Primm Spgs to Forest Home, Tennessee, February 5, 2008

From Primm Spgs to Forest Home, this EF2 tornado ran 25.3 miles across Hickman and Williamson counties on February 5, 2008, touching down at 8:40 PM CST and reaching 300 yards wide. It killed nobody and injured 1, and did $750,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mphthis tornado

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF2
Date
February 5, 2008
Touchdown
8:40 PM CST (02:40 UTC)
Lifted
9:15 PM CST (03:15 UTC)
On the ground
35 minutes
Path length
25.3 miles (40.7 km)
Path width
300 yards (274 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$750,000
Counties
Hickman and Williamson counties
Touchdown point
35.804, -87.287
Lift-off point
36.040, -86.940
Record number
0802052040-01

What the Weather Service recorded

The Super Severe Weather Outbreak on Feb. 5, 2008 produced supercelluar thunderstorms, well in advance of a multicell line of thunderstorms. The whole episode lasted about 6 hours. This occurred ironically while many states, including Tennessee, were participating in the Super Tuesday Primary Election. Fortunately, polls had already closed in the mid state when these tornadoes struck.

Extensive damage in the Brushy Community. Trees were down, and homes were damaged. One person was injured.||TEMA reported 7 homes were destroyed, and 38 homes had major damage.

Homes damaged in Leaper Fork area. One house collapsed and another hit on Cold Water Rd.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.15 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 00:48 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Nashville, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Feb 5, 2:32 PM CST, 6 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 5, 2:32 PM CST, 6 hours 8 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
232 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008

.SHORT TERM...(THRU THU NITE)
CURRENT...SOME -SHRA MOVED ACROSS CNTRL PORTIONS OF CWA THIS
AFTERNOON. SOME BREAKS IN CLOUDS. TEMPS 65 TO 70 FOR MOST PART.

FOR TONITE...HI RISK SEVERE TO OUR W...AND MODERATE RISK
CONTINUES ALL BUT PLATEAU AND ADJACENT AREAS. ACTION STARTING TO
CRANK UP OVER SW MO TO ERN TX...WITH A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES
SHOWING UP OVER N MS. STILL EXPECT ACTIVE WEATHER TONITE...ALTHO
AGAIN THE MAIN SHOW HAS BEEN DELAYED...SO THAT NOW THE SQUALL LINE
(DAMAGIN WIND MAIN THREAT) WILL NOT MOVE INTO W PRTIONS OF CWA TIL
AFTER MIDNITE...AROUND 09Z BNA...AND 12Z CSV. HELICITY VALUES
AHEAD OF FRONT HI ENUF TO SUPPORT ISOLD SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT B4
SQUALL LINE ARRIVES.

ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE EARLY MORNING MAINLY EAST...AND DRY SLOT
WILL MOVE ACROSS DURING DAY...BUT H925 MOISTURE WRAPS AROUND
SYSTEM BACK OVER CWA DURING DAY. WED NITE INTO THU NITE COOLER AND
QUIET.

.LONG TERM...
A WEAK TROF MOVES ACROSS FRI NITE BUT VERY LITTLE PRECIP WITH IT.
HI PRES RULES ON SAT. 1040 ARCTIC HI CENTER OVER IA SUN WILL
BUILD S. RETURN FLOW SUN NITE AND MON. SOME WAA CONVECTION
POSSIBLE AROUND TUE. GFS HAS BEEN FLIP-FLOPPING ON TEMPS FOR SAT-
TUE TIME FRAME...AND LEANED TOWARD HPC NUMBERS.
&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
NASHVILLE      54  56  31  48 / 100  60  10  10
CLARKSVILLE    51  51  28  47 / 100  30  10  10
CROSSVILLE     57  59  30  44 / 100  80  10  10
COLUMBIA       55  57  31  49 / 100  60  10  10
LAWRENCEBURG   55  57  30  51 / 100  30  10  10
WAVERLY        52  53  30  48 / 100  30  10  10
&&

.OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

17/MAG
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 5, 5:10 AM CST, 15 hours 30 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...COR EXPIRATION TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
510 AM CST TUE FEB 5 2008

TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-061130-
STEWART-MONTGOMERY-ROBERTSON-SUMNER-MACON-CLAY-PICKETT-BENTON-HOUSTON-
HUMPHREYS-DICKSON-CHEATHAM-DAVIDSON-WILSON-TROUSDALE-SMITH-JACKSON-
PUTNAM-OVERTON-FENTRESS-PERRY-HICKMAN-LEWIS-WILLIAMSON-MAURY-MARSHALL
-RUTHERFORD-CANNON-DEKALB-WHITE-CUMBERLAND-BEDFORD-COFFEE-WARREN-
GRUNDY-VAN BUREN-WAYNE-LAWRENCE-GILES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DOVER...CLARKSVILLE...SPRINGFIELD...
GALLATIN...LAFAYETTE...CELINA...BYRDSTOWN...CAMDEN...ERIN...
WAVERLY...DICKSON...ASHLAND CITY...KINGSTON SPRINGS...NASHVILLE...
LEBANON...MOUNT JULIET...HARTSVILLE...CARTHAGE...GAINESBORO...
COOKEVILLE...LIVINGSTON...JAMESTOWN...ALLARDT...LINDEN...
LOBELVILLE...CENTERVILLE...HOHENWALD...FRANKLIN...BRENTWOOD...
COLUMBIA...LEWISBURG...MURFREESBORO...WOODBURY...SMITHVILLE...
SPARTA...CROSSVILLE...FAIRFIELD GLADE...SHELBYVILLE...TULLAHOMA...
MANCHESTER...MCMINNVILLE...TRACY CITY...ALTAMONT...COALMONT...
SPENCER...WAYNESBORO...LAWRENCEBURG...PULASKI
506 AM CST TUE FEB 5 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN WEST MIDDLE
TENNESSEE TONIGHT.

WARM MOIST AIR WILL BE IN PLACE AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES INTO
MIDDLE TENNESSEE TONIGHT. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY
UNSTABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER TO DEVELOP. STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE
DAMAGING WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE
CUMBERLAND PLATEAU REGION WEDNESDAY MORNING...AS THE STRONG COLD
FRONT PUSHES EAST.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING.

04

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 5, 6:36 PM CST, 2 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED THE TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
636 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008

TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-060834-
STEWART-MONTGOMERY-ROBERTSON-SUMNER-MACON-CLAY-PICKETT-BENTON-
HOUSTON-HUMPHREYS-DICKSON-CHEATHAM-DAVIDSON-WILSON-TROUSDALE-
SMITH-JACKSON-PUTNAM-OVERTON-FENTRESS-PERRY-HICKMAN-LEWIS-
WILLIAMSON-MAURY-MARSHALL-RUTHERFORD-CANNON-DEKALB-WHITE-
CUMBERLAND-BEDFORD-COFFEE-WARREN-GRUNDY-VAN BUREN-WAYNE-LAWRENCE-
GILES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DOVER...CLARKSVILLE...SPRINGFIELD...
GALLATIN...LAFAYETTE...CELINA...BYRDSTOWN...CAMDEN...ERIN...
WAVERLY...DICKSON...ASHLAND CITY...KINGSTON SPRINGS...NASHVILLE...
LEBANON...MOUNT JULIET...HARTSVILLE...CARTHAGE...GAINESBORO...
COOKEVILLE...LIVINGSTON...JAMESTOWN...ALLARDT...LINDEN...
LOBELVILLE...CENTERVILLE...HOHENWALD...FRANKLIN...BRENTWOOD...
COLUMBIA...LEWISBURG...MURFREESBORO...WOODBURY...SMITHVILLE...
SPARTA...CROSSVILLE...FAIRFIELD GLADE...SHELBYVILLE...TULLAHOMA...
MANCHESTER...MCMINNVILLE...TRACY CITY...ALTAMONT...COALMONT...
SPENCER...WAYNESBORO...LAWRENCEBURG...PULASKI
636 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008

...SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...

THE COMBINATION OF AN UNSEASONABLY WARM AND MOIST AIRMASS...AND
AN APPROACHING POWERFUL COLD FRONT...WILL BRING THE THREAT OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES...TO MIDDLE TENNESSEE TONIGHT
THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.

DUE TO A WARM LAYER ALOFT...IT MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR STORMS TO
FORM DURING THE EVENING. HOWEVER...IF THEY DO...THEY COULD
QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS. THEN...AS THE SLOWLY
MOVING COLD FRONT APPROACHES OVERNIGHT...A SQUALL LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE MID STATE FROM WEST
TO EAST. THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THE OVERNIGHT SQUALL LINE...WILL
BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. HOWEVER...ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE.

COMPUTER MODELS HAVE BEEN SLOWING THE SYSTEM DOWN WITH EACH RUN...SO
NEWER MODEL RUNS MAY YIELD A LITTLE BETTER TIMING. AS OF RIGHT
NOW...IT STILL LOOKS AS THOUGH THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER
WILL BE FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH 6 AM. HOWEVER...SCATTERED SEVERE
STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE EVENING...PARTICULARLY ACROSS
WESTERN MIDDLE TN. ALREADY THIS EVENING...SOME TORNADOES HAVE BEEN
REPORTED IN WESTERN TN AND NORTHERN MS.

IF YOU LIVE IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE...NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR
THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...BY DECIDING WHERE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
WILL SEEK SHELTER.

IN A HOME OR BUILDING...MOVE TO A PRE-DESIGNATED SHELTER...SUCH
AS A BASEMENT. IF AN UNDERGROUND SHELTER IS NOT AVAILABLE...MOVE
TO AN INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR AND GET UNDER
A STURDY PIECE OF FURNITURE.

STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS...AND GET OUT OF AUTOMOBILES.

MOBILE HOMES...EVEN IF TIED DOWN...OFFER LITTLE PROTECTION FROM
TORNADOES AND SHOULD BE ABANDONED.

STAY ALERT...BY LISTENING TO COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION...AND
KEEP A NOAA RADIO...WITH AN ALARM...NEARBY WHILE SLEEPING
TONIGHT. IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.

21
Local storm report, Feb 5, 8:13 PM CST, 27 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 5, 8:29 PM CST, 11 minutes before
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The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 00:00Z

2.7 hours before the tornado, 52 km from the path. February 6, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2008-02-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 706 joules per kilogram, CIN -45, lifted condensation level 812 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2008-02-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 300 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 54 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
706 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-45 J/kg
Surface CAPE
750 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
812 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
300 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
362 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.6
Supercell composite
3.2
0-3 km lapse rate
6.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 12:00Z

9.3 hours after it, 52 km from the path. February 6, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2008-02-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -75186, lifted condensation level 675 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2008-02-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -77 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 75 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-75186 J/kg
Surface CAPE
15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
675 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
75 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-77 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
221 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
5.0 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Columbia (MRC), 41 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Nashville radar (KOHX), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 02:41 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in TennesseeEvery tornado in Tennessee since 1950Warnings in force in Tennessee nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of February 5, 2008

61 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
February 53:26 PM CSTEF1Ashley, AR0.650$40,000
February 54:04 PM CSTEF0Chicot, AR1.150
February 54:27 PM CSTEF0Phillips, AR0.225
February 54:45 PM CSTEF0Bolivar, MS3.450$70,000
February 54:49 PM CSTEF4Atkins–Clinton tornado, AR121.81,32013139$119 million
February 54:50 PM CSTEF1Smith, TX1.0300$30,000
February 55:00 PM CSTEF2Shelby, TN8.11501$1.0 million
February 55:02 PM CSTEF2Marion, AR12.5880136$18 million
February 55:18 PM CSTEF0Tipton, TN0.250$7,000
February 55:18 PM CSTEF0DeSoto, MS2.6100$50,000
February 55:23 PM CSTEF1Tipton, TN0.750$75,000
February 55:31 PM CSTEF0Yell, AR0.630
February 55:32 PM CSTEF1Tipton, TN to MS0.350$50,000
February 55:32 PM CSTEF2DeSoto, MS to TN10.2440313$128 million
February 55:53 PM CSTEF0Panola, MS0.225$12,000
February 55:55 PM CSTEF1Weakley, TN5.1150$160,000
February 55:57 PM CSTEF1Lafayette, MS6.925$25,000
February 55:57 PM CSTEF3Lafayette, MS7.21,00014$35 million
February 56:02 PM CSTEF0Shelby, TN4.950$50,000
February 56:12 PM CSTEF0Marion, IL0.140
February 56:12 PM CSTEF0Marion, IL0.230
February 56:21 PM CSTEF3Fayette, TN31.1600314$10 million
February 56:25 PM CSTEF1Calloway, KY1.4150$35,000
February 56:36 PM CSTEF0Tippah, MS1.450$50,000
February 56:45 PM CSTEF1Trigg, KY0.140$8,000
February 56:50 PM CSTEF0Tippah, MS2.550$100,000
February 56:50 PM CSTEF1Trigg, KY5.6150$60,000
February 56:56 PM CSTEF1Alcorn, MS2.61004$250,000
February 56:59 PM CSTEF4Jackson tornado, TN7.612551$100 million
February 57:05 PM CSTEF1Faulkner, AR5.5100$140,000
February 57:09 PM CSTEF2Christian, KY14.12752$4.4 million
February 57:13 PM CSTEF2Madison, TN0.4150$200,000
February 57:13 PM CSTEF1McNairy, TN8.9150$250,000
February 57:19 PM CSTEF0St. Francis, AR0.125$1,000
February 57:20 PM CSTEF1Randolph, AR to MO31.92004$280,000
February 57:30 PM CSTEF0Union, AR7.0100$200,000
February 57:40 PM CSTEF4Hardin County tornado, TN16.288035$18 million
February 57:44 PM CSTEF3Muhlenberg, KY18.1375324$21 million
February 57:48 PM CSTEF0Monroe, AR8.075$15,000
February 57:59 PM CSTEF0Lee, AR0.125$1,000
February 58:03 PM CSTEF1Butler, MO3.4300$100,000
February 58:05 PM CSTEF1Benton, TN2.050
February 58:07 PM CSTEF2Benton, TN6.6440$10 million
February 58:10 PM CSTEF1Lewis, TN22.9200$900,000
February 58:10 PM CSTEF1Wayne, TN10.150
February 59:15 PM ESTEF1Greene, IN2.050$1.3 million
February 58:18 PM CSTEF2Butler, MO13.9200$300,000
February 510:02 PM CSTEF3Sumner, TN to KY50.38802263$28 million
February 511:54 PM ESTEF1Meade, KY6.5350$2.0 million
February 511:17 PM CSTEF0Catahoula Parish, LA1.550$2,000
February 512:21 AM ESTEF2Hardin, KY7.1400$3.0 million
February 512:27 AM ESTEF2Hardin, KY1.0300$150,000
February 511:32 PM CSTEF1Hart, KY10.5150$500,000
February 512:38 AM ESTEF0Spencer, KY0.7220$150,000
February 512:38 AM ESTEF2Nelson, KY1.3300$50,000
February 511:41 PM CSTEF0Perry, TN0.120
February 512:43 AM ESTEF0Spencer, KY0.62201$200,000
February 512:46 AM ESTEF2Shelby, KY7.0250$175,000
February 512:50 AM ESTEF2Nelson, KY0.83002$250,000
February 511:51 PM CSTEF0Hickman, TN0.120

All 62 of them

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.